Cave Diving Main Quest Guide: Find Tempered Steel in Teardrop Cave

Cave Diving is the ninth main quest in Echoes of Aincrad, and it’s all about a targeted fetch mission: after wrapping up Secret Medicine of the Forest, you’ll need to track down special upgrade materials. That quest objective pulls you and your partner back to Teardrop Cave to hunt for Tempered Steel—and, as with many main quests, that search ends in a boss rematch against the Dire Strife Wolf.

What this quest asks players to do (and why it matters)

At its core, Cave Diving is relatively straightforward: you’re not managing a chain of branching objectives, but you are revisiting an earlier challenge with an upgraded fight. The quest’s structure also reinforces how progression in Aincrad works—collect the upgrade resource you need, then validate your build by handling a boss that’s familiar but not identical.

• You’re returning to Teardrop Cave specifically to obtain Tempered Steel as an upgrade component.
• The Dire Strife Wolf encounter isn’t a one-off: it’s the second time you fight this enemy, making “memory” from prior quests relevant.
• Expect the same overall threat style, but with attack changes during the second health bar, so old patterns won’t be fully reliable.

How to reach the boss area

Even though Cave Diving includes a boss, it’s still one of the easier quests because the route is less complicated than many questlines. After leaving Horunka, head along the road to your right and travel south.

Important routing note: don’t take the first right turn beneath Horunka. That detour leads to an area that doesn’t connect to the quest objective.

Instead, you’ll need to travel far south until you find a road that takes you into the next region, Thieves’ Gutter. Once you arrive at the Safe Area there, avoid the typical southwest path. Keep going north, and follow the road as it quickly wraps around toward the objective.

There aren’t any new enemy encounters during the travel segment, so you shouldn’t run into surprise fights on your way in. Eventually, you’ll reach the most recently sealed yellow wall—this is your cue to prepare for a boss battle that wraps up the short Cave Diving quest.

Dire Strife Wolf (second encounter) — attacks, hazards, and phase changes

This is your second confrontation with the Dire Strife Wolf. The first time you met it was during an earlier quest called The Violet Fencer I. The fight will still feel recognizable, but it will reshuffle its moves once you reach the second health bar, so treat this as a rematch with evolution rather than a simple repeat.

• The most important danger involves an electric wave: after it sends the wave at you, it will then leap into the air and slam down. Both attacks can deal damage and also apply the Paralyzed ailment. The wolf telegraphs the wave by lowering to the ground and looking up before releasing it.
• It can also use its tail while you’re standing still to perform a spinning attack that applies Paralyzed. Unlike the electric wave pattern, this one isn’t clearly telegraphed.
• It has a straightforward forward lunge that covers a moderate distance.
• Throughout the fight, it stays mobile and agile—leaping around the arena can make timing attacks frustrating. When you get close, lean into partner tools such as Iori’s Twin Embrace to capitalize on openings.
• Many basic attacks can build your Paralyzed meter. If the meter fully fills, you’ll end up in a dangerous state, so don’t ignore small hits.
• After you drain its first health bar, it will fight without its head. That change adds new attacks that can also apply Paralyzed.
• Second-phase highlights include an electric spinning attack while airborne, a skipping reposition to reach you, and the creation of an electric field around itself.

Rewards, Teardrop Cave completion, and what to do next

When you defeat the Dire Strife Wolf, the item drops you may receive are:

• Col
• Iron Ingot
• Silver Ingot
• Smooth Hide
• Annealed Rod
• Steel Hammer

After you collect your loot, proceed deeper into Teardrop Cave. As in the closed beta, interact with the warp terminal inside. Doing so completes the Cave Diving quest and teleports you back to Horunka.

Use the return trip to handle any preparation you might need—resupplying with items like Bomb Stones and Flame Stones. Then, move on to the next quest: Dawning Fear.